Review by :

If you are visiting Maine and want to explore, this is the only reference possible. It is updated every year to show washed out roads, backwoods detours and detail that is essential to getting in and out of the Northern Wilderness.

Review by Henry L. Harding:

This goes for any of the gazetters. These books are indispensable. I have them for many states and refer to them constantly when traveling. I photograph lighthouses and landscapes. They have the lighthouses marked and many tiny roads. I've used the one in Northern California to navigate through the deep forests on logging roads to get to the ocean and never have had an error. If I find myself in error it has always been my mistake in reading the map not the map. They are the perfect detail for the size package. I also use the Topo 4.0 Wow! I don't carry a laptop in the field though.

Review by The Footpath Cowboy:

FROMMER'S MAINE COAST is a great book about the coastal region of Maine, filled with some interesting healthy diet and activity ideas. However, if you want a full picture, you also need to get THE INSIDER'S GUIDE TO PORTLAND, MAINE (due out May 1st), FODOR'S MAINE COAST, 1ST EDITION, and THE INSIDER'S GUIDE TO THE MAINE COAST, 2ND EDITION (due out June 1st). Even taken by itself, though, this book is a must-own.

Review by Bob Pelletier:

I live on the coast of Maine and have many requests from friends to visit during the summer and fall. I always send this book out before my friends arrive so that they can see everything the Maine coast has to offer and so that I can adequately make a plan for them to see the things that matter most to them. It is an invaluable guide and it "spot on" with descriptions.

Review by :

Colorful, fun way to introduce Map and Globe reading and understanding. It covers the history of maps, and uses. Advanced concepts like debth and elevatons are discussed. It looks at different uses maps have, and leaves the student wanting to discover more on their own. A very usful tool in teaching basic geography.

Review by audrey:

Written for 7-10 year olds, this colorful book introduces young readers to the basics of maps and globes, such as a map's uses, direction, the equator, scale, legends, latitude, longitude, elevation and the difference between physical and political maps. Illustrations are simple, colorful and informative.

Well done.

Review by Karen Woodworth Roman:

Carmen Bredeson has written a very good introduction to maps and globes. Covers such topics as legends, directions, and scale. The writing and the book design are clear and clean. The illustrations and photographs are of good quality, but I wished there had been more photos taken specifically for this book as oppose to stock photos. There is an index. Karen Woodworth-Roman, Children's Science Book Review

Review by perljam:

I went to Rome with three guidebooks and this map. It was this map that was the most useful tool for negotiating the city. It is compact, yet very comprehensive, accurate and well marked. It was easy to find landmarks, tourist sites, piazzas, metro stops, etc., as well as even the tiniest streets in Rome. A big plus is the fact that the map is laminated - we were caught out in a heavy rainstorm, and this map held up admirably - the paper map we received from our hotel disintegrated. I would highly recommend this map to anyone travelling in Rome.

Review by T. M. McHugh:

There's no disputing the point that there are more complete, more dtailed maps. However, that misses the point. One does not ordinarily need microscopic detail in negotiating an unfamiliar city. What one does need is a broad outline of the city that can be speedily referenced to orient oneself. For this purpose (primarily that of the tourist), Streetwise is THE superior product. If you need detail, buy a Mapsco. If you just want to quickly figure out where you are, Streetwise is the way to go

Review by D. Cusick:

I discovered Streewise Manhattan in a New York City bookstore years ago. I acquired a copy, and it quickly became my favorite map of all. Its format and sturdiness made it easy to carry with me without the map breaking down, and it was so easy to read, and to locate everything I wanted. I used it for years, and then - sadly - lost it. I returned to New York and checked various bookstores there, and no one carried copies of it anymore, so I was thrilled to discover it on Amazon, and promptly ordered a new copy. After getting used to the Streetwise maps all others seem like pale imitations.

Review by Lorraine Hooper:

I bought this guide when I first moved to NYC 7 years ago. I carried it with me every day as I got to know my way around. I could be adventurous when I was armed with my "steetwise" map because I could walk wherever I wanted and I'd use the map to find the closest subway no matter where I wound up. I continued to carry it with me in my bag every day as long as I lived in New York because you never know when someone will invite you to some new place after work and you need to plan your course for the evening. This guide helps you move around like you're a native and its so small and light there's no reason not to have it with you always. Note: the first one I bought had a couple errors in the subway stops near Central Park on the B and D trains, but I bought another one a year later and found no errors on it. (Now that I've moved out of New York, I even feel nostalgic when I see my old "streetwise manhattan". It served me well.)

Review by Jerrbear:

During our eight days in London, this map was our constant guide. Laminated in plastic, and fan folded, like an accordian, I carried it in my hip pocket. I could whip it out and open it in two seconds. My 51 year old eyes had no trouble reading the print. All of the information you need for locating and navigating the Underground is also included on the map. When finished with the map, you can snap it shut, and tuck it back in your pocket, again in about two seconds. We developed true affection for this helpful map, and it is now among our keepsakes from the trip.

Review by A. Garvin:

I ordered "Streetwise London" based on reviews such as "must have" and "don't go without it."
Luckily, I also ordered "The London Mapguide" because I found "Streetwise London" a big disappointment... The map is from the early '90s. The size is handy, but too small to legibly show enough detail to be much use.
"The London Mapguide," for about more, shows tube routes and stations, bus routes, and lots of other useful detail and it will also fit in a big pocket.

Review by Rick Price:

Ok, so you might need a guide book and a bird book as well but this map goes a long way to provide a Costa Rica map and guide book wrapped into one. I would have paid 0 for this map twelve years ago just for the information about paved roads, something that most map makers are reluctant to include since those roads change so quickly in a place like Costa Rica. Indeed, I headed off to San Jose in March of 1993 with my bike in a box and only a vague idea of road quality around the country. My trip went fine and I discovered some pretty interesting unpaved roads as well. But you are always at an advantage when you have current information. And this map has it as of January 2005 (and should be good for 3-4 years). Besides current road quality and surface status Krueger-Koplin has included detailed listings and locations of beaches, parks, reserves and refuges, butterfly gardens, canopy tours, fresh water fishing locales, surfing and scuba schools and more. How many times have you found yourself trying to plot all these locations on a map from your guidebook? This already has it done for you. As far as I know no other Costa Rica map goes this far.

Headed out on your bike or bird watching in the cloud forest? Not to worry. The "polyart" (plastic) this map is printed on will withstand afternoon downpours, morning drizzles and bike grease as well. This map isn't perfect but I've not seen anything comparable for the active traveler to Costa Rica. Just wish I'd had it twelve years ago. . .

Review by James A. Alfaro:

Once in a while one comes across a product that really stands out. Something that tells you "someone really gave some thought to this." This map is one of them. It is a comprehensive and well designed map with more information than just highways of Costa Rica. Every time you unfold it, it shows you a complete section of information. Because of the material used, it always folds back correctly unlike paper maps. The map can even be used as a momentary rain shield during one of the many unpredictable rain showers that can come at any time in Costa Rica. Having seen many Costa Rica maps, this one in my opinion is the best one. Great use of detail, color and icons. A MUST if you are going to drive in Costa Rica. The maps from the rental companies lack detail or are non existent. I have been using mine for over a year and I would not go to Costa Rica without. It's the first thing I pack....

Review by G. M. Matthews:

I have about 5 of these, so no matter where I am, I can find one or have one to loan out. They are simply great maps of San Francisco. There are certainly maps with more detail, but Streetwise has engineered to put more information in a small space than you can imagine.

And the more you look, the more you realize is there. I wanted parking in downtown, and lo and behold on the downtown inset, parking garages are shown. If you know anything about San Francisco, the icons on the map give you references and make it very easy to better see context. The text is easy to read. We abuse these to death and none of them have complained or gotten rough around the edge yet. My only complaint is I wish it covered a larger area, but it does exactly what it's supposed to - it covers the 49 square mile area called San Francisco.

All of the tourist attractions are on the map. All of the main landmarks are on the map. All of the streets and street directions and MUNI and Cable Cars are on the map. You can hold it in the car and actually read it, which you can't do with any paper map on the planet. It shows so much more context than Maps on my iPhone because you can see the whole city at a glance. Well, half at a time. It's split between the north and south half of the city on the two sides of trifold plastic sheets.

If you're looking for a map of SF that you can carry with you always, this is the one. You will want other resources, possibly guidebooks if you are a tourist, the Not For Tourist Guide if you live in the City as I do, and possibly better paper maps when you really want to see detail around the kitchen table, and Google Earth and it's street level views which allow you to walk around if you are sitting in front of a computer. But this map is the one I use 95% of the time, and I has never let me down.

Review by Kim's Two Cents:

I stayed at The Red Vic in Haight-Ashbury, a little off the beaten path. This map and my weeklong muni pass paid for themselves a gabillion times. The map worked great; I was never lost. The way they depict the touristy section of Lombard Street makes me giggle.

Review by Joseph Boone:

Streetwise maps are laminated and meant to fold up small enough to fit in a hip pocket. This map of Washington DC includes a small street index as well as an index of local attractions. There are also indexes for top attractions, parks, and public buildings. The map itself is very clear and well marked. It includes a small separate map showing the routes that the Metro trains follow. Additionally, there is page that shows a blown up map of the Mall that is amazing in its clarity as it really highlights the locations of all the museums, monuments, etc. in this highly popular tourist area.

One should be aware, however, that Amazon sells two different Streetwise maps for DC. One is labeled as "Compact" and is just 6.75" tall. The other is a bit bigger at 8.6". While this doesn't sound like a big difference, it has a huge impact on how easy it is to read the map. The small one has very fine print and can be quite difficult to make out. The larger one will still fit in a pocket and will also take major strain off of your eyes. Make sure you have the right one prior to ordering, amazon even mingles the reviews for the two so it can be a bit confusing.

Review by :

These laminated maps are great. They're durable and survive being toted around from pocket to bag to car to wherever. I always get one for my travel destinations and wouldn't be without it. This DC map has well-marked Metro stops and places of interest. It packs as much as it can into its size.

Review by M. J. Sweet:

This map was a terrible disappointment. It leaves out whole important sections of the city (the Giudecca, even the Lido!), gives only the main streets (thus making it much easier to get lost in an already maze-like place), and leaves out vital information found on standard tourist maps, such as water-bus (vaporetto) routes and opening times for museums. My advice: save your money and get a decent map for a few bucks when you get to Venice.

Review by :

Regardless of the map you WILL find a deadend in Venice - turn the corner and there is no more - either a wall or a canal.This map is great - thin and water-resistant (coated) overall
best deal for the price/size.

Review by :

That is the advice I give to anyone who is not a native of or very familiar with the Crescent City. I went there twice in 2002 and plan to go back for Mardi Gras 2003, and this map is the most useful thing I had with me. New Orleans streets are very confusing---many of them are one way, and sometimes they change names on you. The Streetwise New Orleans map was very accurate, in my experience. It was especially useful in that it shows you which streets are one way and in what direction, so if you find yourself accidentally stuck on a one-way street going in the opposite direction from where you want to go, you can get yourself right again. This map also shows you streetcar routes, if you prefer not to drive; and of course like any good city map it shows you points of interest, like the old cemeteries, as well.
Another good thing about this map is its size: it is small enough to fit in my purse and keep with me, and it is easy to fold. It is also laminated, of course.

Review by Judy K. Polhemus:

I ordered this map from Amazon, sight unseen, but based on reviews. As a reviewer myself, I know the value of these reviews. However, when this dinky little map fell out of the envelope, I was so disappointed--UNTIL I actually sat down with the map and [...] and planned out the trip.

Let me describe the map and try to show you how compact is the size and the information. It is 16 inches long and 8 1/2 inches high. On one side is a detailed map of the French Quarter and Central Business District, including the Superdome. At the center top is the Treme District with the Louis Armstrong Park. All the hotels, restaurants, and tourist attractions are marked in the French Quarter and elsewhere. I was so surprised because the map is so compact. Streetcar and bus routes are also indicated.

When I found hotels on the website, I then found them on the map and could easily decide if the location was suitable. Since we are going during off-season and during the week, prices are exceptional. [...] is an excellent website to aid in planning.

On the flip side of the map is the entirety of New Orleans on a smaller scale with a larger scale of an extension of the Garden District from the French Quarter to Audubon Park and Zoo, another family-oriented tourist destination. Along the top and right side are listings of major streets with coordinate points, as well as hotels, places of interest, restaurants with coordinates.

You might want a larger, more detailed map for getting in and out of New Orleans or if your hotel is outside the city. If not, "Streetwise New Orleans Map" is truly all you need. See you at Cafe du Monde bright and early for cafe au lait and beignets. We've got a city to explore and an adventure to live.

Review by A. P. Smith:

I love this map! I got it to replace a National Geographic map (black background, brightly colored) and am very happy with the decision. This map uses the Van Der Grinten projection which works well on a large wall map like this. The map is too "bright" for some people -- there is a very similar Terra Nova map available which I believe has more subdued hues, that would be a better choice for someone looking for something more subtle. The oceans are nicely shaded with information regarding the ocean floor (I think).

Very handsome map, I recommend it.

Review by Gary A. Klatt:

The map is everything I expected it to be, very large covering the wall I intended to place it on. The colors are very vivid, the country names print large enough to see from across the room.

Review by :

This book contains some of the loveliest reproductions of old maps I have ever scene. Aside from the beautiful pictures, the author includes interesting and valuable commentary to help the reader understand these city plans in the context of history and geography. All those interested in urban design should read the eloquent forward of this book. It would be highly beneficial if more of our political leaders, and just people in general, understood this era in urban design- the end of the traditional and the beginning of the modern. With the help of this book, perhaps we can bring about a new commitment to intelligent and beautiful urban planning for the future.

Review by :

I read this book a few years ago shortly after it was released in paperback. Jane Hamilton is a beautiful, insightful writer with a keen ability to paint realistic characters experiencing very believable emotions. Although I appreciate her immense talent, this book left me feeling empty and sad, rather than enraged, embolded or inspired, as she may have intended. This is a well-written book that deserves all its praise, but reading an emotionally draining book, with little levity to break up the mood, is simply not how I like to spend a rainy afternoon.

Review by :

I was hesitant to pick this book after reading some reader reviews describing it as boring, too wordy, and turned off by the death of a child.On the contrary, I found it very rich, textural, and complex in a very human way. I was never bored and whipped through this in less than a week. I found it fascinating. I loved the way Alice narrated it at first, then Howard, than back to Alice again.People are very fallible, complex characters and this book finds the perfect pitch to tell that story. It is about surviving trageday, and ultimately, forgiveness. While this is not a "happy" read, I was not depressed by it either. I get so tired of people complaining about subject matter being depressing and therefore, throwaway. It is through pain we often find joy. For me, a good book, or movie is something that grips me and holds my attention, whether it be happy or sad or both. This is one of the better books I have read in a long time. I will read more by Jane Hamilton.

Review by Daniel Hanks:

Few of today's web-savvy would contest Google's superiority among search engines. Behind the austere and simple interface lies a wealth of information just waiting to be tapped. Until now however, tapping all that information and power would likely require scanning dozens of websites hunting down tips for making the most out of Google. Fortunately, Tara Calishain, Rael Dornfest and their colleagues have done most of the legwork for us in O'Reilly's Google Hacks.Google Hacks is another in O'Reilly's Hacks series, "Industrial Strength Tips and Tools". In this case, 100 recipes for just about every imaginable use for Google. O'Reilly uses the term 'hack' in a positive way, meaning a clever technical feat or trick, as opposed to the negative connotation associated with those blackhats who break into computer systems for fun and for profit. Each "hack" is a stand-alone recipe demonstrating some aspect of using Google to find just what you're looking for. Most hacks also contain cross-references to other relevant hacks in the book, so you really don't have to read it from cover to cover. You could start with whatever interests you, and go from there.The book is divided into several chapters, each of which contains several hacks. The first few chapters are targeted at the general end-user, describing in detail all of the various syntaxes you can use when searching with Google, as well as introducing the various topical collections (U.S. government, Linux, Mac, etc.), and other tools (Google Groups, Google News, etc.,) available. The authors are careful to point out where the various syntax pieces are incompatible, and which syntax features are available with which services. Also covered are various tools you can use to (legally) 'scrape' Google search results for further analysis. These chapters will be useful for just about anyone who uses Google. Some of the material (such as directly manipulating URLS to tweak search results and custom HTML forms) may be beyond the reach of some newbies. A general understanding of URLs, HTML and CGI scripting will be helpful in making use of most of the book.The next few chapters are targeted more to developers and propeller-heads, describing the Google Web Service API, as well as providing dozens of scripts (mostly in Perl) for manipulating Google's index via its XML interface. Newbies and the casual user might find all this a bit overwhelming, but anyone with a Perl interpreter could potentially use these scripts to their advantage. One chapter also provides examples of using the API in various other languages including PHP, Java, Python, C#/.NET, and VB.NET. There are enough examples here of using the API in various fashions to get anyone with a sense of programming plenty of starting off points for whatever project they may imagine with Google's wealth of information.The next to last chapter involves a handful of pranks, games, other oddities you can do with Google. Fool your friends with 0-result searches, let Google write poetry or a recipe for you. Draw pictures with Google Groups, or see just how good you are at Google-Whacking. This is the chapter for all of you who have way too much time on your hands .The last chapter in the book is targeted towards webmasters and offers several tips not only on getting your website well-placed in Google's search rankings, but also general help on getting traffic to your site in the first place. The authors also discuss strategies for using Google's AdWords system to the advantage of your business.Overall, the book is very readable, and easy to move through (well, for a geek anyways). Each hack is self-contained, and can be read in a few minutes. Read it near your computer, as you'll likely be wanting to try some of these hacks out as you read them. As for its usefulness, I'm already using things I learned in the book on a regular basis to my daily advantage. However, if you're not more than a casual user of Google, all the scripts and API-speak might be overkill for your needs. The first few and last chapters probably justify the Amazon price for most users, however.The book isn't perfect, though. I did find a few typographical errors scattered through the text, but they weren't prevalent enough to be too distracting. Also, with coverage of such a moving target as a major Internet property like Google, there will likely be links and even certain hacks that may not work, and features that change with time. Finally, the idea of narrowing down your search results to a manageable number surfaces often. In my opinion, what's important is not so much how many search results are found, but rather, whether or not Google can get me what I'm looking for within the first page or two of results, which it usually does, and which is why I use Google in the first place. The real value of the book shows itself on those occasions where Google doesn't necessarily get you where you want to be on the first shot.In summary, true to its cover graphic, Google Hacks will provide you with a large number of tools to get the most out of Google, whether for serious research, casual browsing, procrastination activities, or just plain old fun.

Review by :

First off, I have to admit: I fell in love with this book while looking at the description at ora.com before it was ever published. I'm a geek. I've used Google for years. I live and breathe this stuff. I know the high editorial and production quality that O'Reilly puts into their technical books. But the pre-publication descriptions left an open question for me: just how useful would this book be for normal people?To those who know nothing about programming/scripting, fear not. About half of this book is stuff that anyone anywhere can use with no programming skills whatsoever. And if the hacks described in the other half of the book sound useful, sufficiently-motivated people will find a way to use them: talk to their technical friends, their children, or (heaven forbid!) teach themselves how to use Perl/Python/etc. And even that's kind of missing the point: the book is about giving you a taste of what is possible to do with Google. You will get an education simply by leafing through the examples.How do the authors get so good? Clearly, they're smart folk. But they have a much more important quality: a sense of adventure and, at times, a giddy quality of fun in what they do. Chapter 7 -- Google Pranks and Games -- is as good a place to start reading this book as any. And a non-technical person who reads and tries the examples in Chapter 1 will have a far better working knowledge of google than 99.5% of the technical types out there. Finally, Chapter 8 is an excellent intro to webmasters to understand how google picks which pages rank higher for any particular search. It gives valuable advice on how to get a good rank for your website. This book should be a good antidote for small-time operators who are currently getting hustled by "rank booster" con artists and other snake-oil salesmen.One side comment: hacking is a good thing. In the past two decades, the word has been co-opted to mean a dubious or possibly-illegal activity. Nonsense. Hacking is a most honorable activity; it's part of what makes the world works. Kudos to O'Reilly for starting their "Hacks" book series.Google is an Internet search engine database, but it's far more than that. It's existence has begun to shape the very fabric of the Internet. Anyone wishing to be literate on the Internet would be wise to understand quite a bit about it.I'm buying a copy of this book for my mother tonight.

Review by Thomas D. Kehoe:

"International Travel Maps: Cuba" (ISBN 155341184-6) is the best of the three maps. It's the largest scale (1:650,000) and has the most detail. It's also waterproof. The only downside is that it lacks city maps, showing only Santiago and Havana. But the same company has an excellent map of Havana (ISBN 155341643-0), so I recommend buying these two maps, plus a guidebook with good maps of the smaller towns, such as the Moon Handbook, by Christopher Baker.

"Nelles Map: Cuba" (ISBN 978-3-86574-022-9) is a close second. The scale is smaller (1:775,000) but you still see good detail. The topographic coloring is better than the ITMB map, shwowing the mountains more clearly. And it has more detail maps of the smaller cities.

"Globetrotter: Cuba" (ISBN 1-84537-310-3) is the worst. The scale is 1:1,380,000 (that's one million, three hundred eighty thousand). Little detail is shown, and no topographic coloring. It has many city maps but they aren't as good as the city maps in the Moon guidebook.

Review by Sandy Lynn:

We got this map as well as Streetwise Cuba map and found this one to be much better for driving the country. We drove from Havana to Cardenas, Matanzas and Varadero. We then drove from Matanzas province to Cienfuegos and Trinidad. This map was invaluable. So, however, is the ability to speak Spanish. Numerous roads, including major highways were unmarked, making a map of limited usefulness. We had to ask for directions several times a day because of this problem.

Review by Charles Pinney:

If you've ever been one flipping to the maps in "The Hobbit", "The Lord of the Rings" , or "The Silmarillion" to see where the action is taking place, then this book is for you.Karen Wynn Fonstad has done a remarkable job of mapping Middle-earth. The atlas is broken down into various sections, each easy to navigate to find what you're looking for.The First Age section is perfect for readers of "The Silmarillion", all the important places are mapped along with ample notes and observations.The Second Age deals with the fall of Numenor, a worthy companion to those reading "Unfinished Tales".The majority of the book deals with the Third Age. This is where "The Hobbit" and "The Lord of the Rings" takes place. There are maps showing the kingdoms of the Dunedain as well as the migration of the dwarves and the hobbits.There are regional maps detailing the Shire, the Misty Mountains, Eriador, and Mordor. Two lengthy sections are devoted to the Hobbit and LotR, showing all the key places in the books. Fantastic maps to look over again and again.Towards the end of the book are included the thematic maps. Very interesting. These show the landforms, climate, vegetation, population and languages spoken.Overall, if you're remotely interesting in learning more about Middle-earth, or you're just interested in great maps, pick this up. Enjoy.

Review by :

The Atlas of Middle-Earth is an excellent work of geographic reasoning in the great tradition of Eratostenes. The attention to detail, the realism in the drawings, and the breadth of topics in this book are difficult to measure. I am a professional geographer, and I understand how labor-intensive the completion of this book must have been. Literally thousands of decisions made by Mrs. Fonstad had to fit with Tolkien's descriptions and intentions. That Tolkien's descriptions can stand up to such scrutiny of accuracy and internal consistency is a testament to Tolkien's magic (many authors' designed worlds do not).I also wish to dispell a misconception by an earlier reviewer. The review by Linards Ticmanis from Germany is in error about Mrs. Fonstad's portrayal of the world maps. He suggested that her maps show a world "only half as large as the real earth" and that Tolkien has designed Arda to be Earth (although Tolkien denied that Middle-Earth was Europe in The Lost Road, p. 25). However, the radius of the planet can be calculated from her maps by placing an orthographic projection diagram with lines of latitude and longitude on top of her maps (her world maps are orthographic projections). When a degree of longitude or latitude is compared to its ground distance (supplied by reading Tolkien), it is quite easy to calculate the radius of the planet, approximately 4200 miles (6770 km). This compares to 3963 miles (6378 km) radius for the earth. These two measurements are very similar, and the idea that Mrs. Fonstad's maps show a world that is "only half as large as the real earth" is in error. In any case, the Atlas of Middle-Earth is about as "Tolkien Purist" as you can get; and this adds to its value immensely.

Review by Bruce R. Gilson:

About two months ago, I reviewed "Understanding Map Projections" by Melita Kennedy and Steve Kopp. While in certain minor ways this book falls short of Kennedy and Kopp's book, it is generally head and shoulders above it. And while it is true that Snyder's book is almost twice the price of Kennedy and Kopp's book, it is worth it. Other books of comparable value cost much more.The only negative thing I really have to say about Snyder's book is that he tries to do two different things in it. This book is both a history and a survey of map projections, and what is appropriate for a history may not be best for a survey. In particular, it means that Snyder covers the various projections not in a sensible order (grouping similar types together), but chronologically. Projections popularized, say, in the 19th century are all covered in the same section.I prefer the organization of Kennedy and Kopp's book, and I think the use of color in that book makes for a more attractive book. But my primary rating of a book on map projections is going to be based on three criteria: (1) Does it cover a large variety of different projections? (2) Does it give illustrations of what they look like? and (3) Does it give formulas or other information by which one can actually construct maps on the projections listed? This book ranks much higher than Kennedy and Kopp's on two of these three criteria (the first and last), and does not fall very far short of it on the remnaining one.Over a hundred projections (actually, close to twice that many) are treated in this book, from familiar ones to novelty projections that never will be used in a serious atlas. And a large proportion of them are illustrated (though not all, and the ones that are do not use color as in the Kennedy & Kopp book) and either have the formulas for plotting them or are described in terms equivalent to giving formulas (By contrast the Kennedy-Kopp book has almost no formulas, and the descriptions do not allow you to produce them). If you don't want to spend over , this is the one map projection book to buy.

Review by :

True to its title, here is a fascinating and very readable historical survey of mankind's struggle to draw a spherical planet as a flat map in a useful way - a problem simply stated, yet never perfectly solvable.Not many projection formulas, but plenty of illustrations, including timelines and original historic maps.The huge bibliography only hints at the enourmous amount of research and cross-referencing provided by this work. From the viewpoint of map projections, this is *the* ultimate history book.

Review by Shaun W. Taylor:

While I enjoyed the author's clear writing style, and I was pleased to see that the level of detail and explanation given in each chapter is consistent, I did not find the book's content to be particularly valuable.

The book is organized very well, and it reads like a Google Maps tutorial, rather than a hacks book. The flow from chapter to chapter is similar to the Maps API online documentation, which makes following along with Google's documentation a breeze while reading the book.

The first 100 pages were introductory, describing Google Local, the Maps API, ways to store and share information, and so on in very general terms. This puts all users on equal footing, but it seemed odd to see so much basic information in a book about hacking Google Maps.

One thing that shocked me, especially given the approach taken in the first 100 pages, was to see all of the examples written in Perl. If the introductory lessons are needed by anyone, chances are that programming / scripting is new to him/her, and I don't see Perl as the appropriate language to learn at that point.

Version 1 of the API is used throughout the book, but version 2 was released in April 2006. Version 2 is largely backwards compatible, but Google has asked everyone to move to version 2, saying that v1 support can be turned off at any point. This doesn't take away from the value of the lessons, but it does add some overhead. I consulted Google's documentation and adjusted all of the books examples for the api changes as I read.

Another thing that particularly surprised me was the mention of using scraping techniques to extract geocoding data, without mentioning the drawbacks to doing so. Personally, I avoid scraping like the plague. There's no better way to break an app than to scrape its data. Geocoding is part of the v2 api, btw.

To summarize, the book is a clearly laid out introduction to using the Google Maps API, and it is written well, but I wouldn't recommend it to a friend. For an introduction to maps, I would consult Google's much-improved online documentation, and O'Reilly's "Google Maps Hacks" is a better read for what I would consider hacks (also written to api v1).

Review by CJ:

If you are primarily interested in Google Earth, use Web based resources. Material on Google Earth is limited and appears to be appended to a book written on Google Maps.

Review by Chris Thompson:

Simon Winchester's review above does not give this book justice, although I must say that Lester's ability to spin a great story around an arcane subject may rival Winchester's. To me this book is about so much more than the naming of America on a map - it is really about the process of discovery and enlightenment and the pitfalls and pratfalls along the way. I ordered the book in an attempt to research an even more arcane issue I did not find in the book, but was immediately captivated by the exposition, and set my current book aside to read this to completion.

The title of the book could maybe not be more cryptic or off-putting, but don't let that deter you. The Fourth Part of the World refers to the somewhat mythical, yet actual undiscovered lands (after Asia, Europe and Africa) described by the ancients which we know now as America. Lester spins an exhaustively researched yet page-turning story of how this mythical land was gradually given substance and shape by explorers and cartographers. That the mapmakers at the center of the story write "America" on their map is almost incidental to the story. The great story, which Lester tells so wonderfully well, is how incredibly important world maps effected the philosophy of the day. Lester makes the case that it was this map that caused Copernicus to form his theory of the Universe, which if true, is far more significant than simply naming America.

For the average reader like me, this book will fill in a lot of the gaps in your learning about the age of exploration, and possibly give insight to the shortfalls and missteps we continue to repeat while exploring new domains without the proper "map".

"The Fourth Part of the World" is truly not an arcane subject, and it's a wonderful read.

Review by S. McGee:

A six-star book, and one of my favorite book discoveries of the year. This is the kind of book that makes me wish that Amazon allowed us to award an extra bonus star to truly outstanding works.

Remember all those hours we all spent in classrooms, at least one of which had a world map spread out across one wall, and how familiar that world came to look to us, with the Atlantic separating the Americas from the vast landmass of Europe and Asia, and Africa extending south between the Atlantic and Indian oceans? Well, in this fascinating and lively history, Toby Lester tells us how -- over the course of many centuries -- that map and the shape of the world it presents came to be understood and accepted, and how slowly and painfully that process was. Even more intriguing, it's the story of how a world view evolved over even more centuries; of how Europeans who once saw themselves as inhabiting a tiny island surrounding by vast amounts of ocean, with Jerusalem -- as their holy city -- at its center, came to understand the implications of voyages of discovery on foot, horseback and eventually by sea for their view of geographical reality.

Travelers began to venture from Europe into unknown lands centuries before the map at the heart of this book that first identified America as a separate continent and named it after Amerigo Vespucci was first printed in eastern France in 1507. Those who came back -- Papal envoys from the Mongol court, Marco Polo from China and the East Indies -- had wondrous tales to spin -- but where, exactly, was it that they had been? Mapmakers scrambled to keep up. Sometimes the works of these early geographers owe more to invention than to what we now know to be true; sometimes they were able to make big leaps forward after significant voyages of discovery such as those of the Portuguese explorers down the African coast, or of the rediscovery of ancient geographical tomes, such as Petrarch's copy of the earliest Latin geographical work ever found by Pomponious Mela.

We may all know the story of Columbus and other 15th and early 16th century explorers and their voyages, but what I found fascinating to read about were those that had taken place centuries earlier, such as voyages by Italian mariners commissioned by the Portuguese king in the mid-1300s to set off in search of some islands believed to exist somewhere in the Atlantic. They ended up discovering the Canary Islands (as they are now known today) and proceeded to pillage, loot and take prisoners home with them in hopes of converting them to Christianity. (Setting a pattern that would repeat itself on a vaster scale centuries later, as Lester points out.)

In the world we live in today, where there are no significant undiscovered lands and few major geographical puzzles left to solve, this book is particularly enticing. It put me squarely back in the minds of these medieval and Renaissance travelers, scholars and mapmakers as they struggled to put together a jigsaw puzzle to which half the pieces were still missing, and produce an accurate view of the world they were still discovering. Following in their footsteps was exhilarating, thanks both to the facts themselves and to Lester's extremely knowledgeable but always lively writing. While Lester does great work in making the process of map-making itself understandable, he doesn't shun the livelier bits and pieces of the story, such as the way "Mongol chic" spread through western Europe the late 13th and early 14th centuries. (Italian parents even named their sons after Mongol khans!)

This book was sheer delight to read, as it combines intellectual history (the story of the transmission of knowledge and of how new discoveries were incorporated into and transformed the way people viewed their world), science (the art of navigation and marine map-making, for instance) and the stories of the explorers, both those whose curiosity could be pursued only from the medieveal version of an armchair as well as those like Columbus and Vespucci who took the helm of their ships and sailed off into the unknown. (I confess I particularly enjoyed the attention given to some of the more obscure figures, from the mapmakers who finally produced the map bearing the label 'America' to early 14th century Papal scholar Poggio Bracciolini, long a favorite historical character of mine for his intrepid book-hunting expeditions.)

This is a story that may owe its existence to a map but which stretches far beyond that, to tell the story of how we learned to learn about and think about the world we inhabit. It's an ambitious book, but one that will promptly be added to my "top 100" books; the volumes I don't ever want to be without. It will appeal most readily to those with an interest in history and exploration, but I defy anyone to read it and not immediately set off in search of more reading on the topic. (For anyone who hasn't already read it, Daniel Boorstin's The Discoverers is a good overview book, although it doesn't pack the same kind of wallop as this one.) On a bit of a tangent, if you enjoyed this, you might find Island of Lost Maps, (True Story) by Miles Harvey to be intriguing, as it's the tale of how much today's collectors cherish some of these very early maps and the crimes they will commit to possess them.

Highly, highly recommended. If I could put it more strongly than that, I would.

Review by Les L. Johnson:

When you've been working in a field for 30 years it's really difficult to drag yourself backwards and review data you already know, so when I signed up for a GPS (Global Positioning Sattelite) software course I looked at "Map Use & Analysis" by John Campbell as something I could just skip over, but since it was required reading I finally got it out. I was really pleased with the depth of material and the extremely clear explanations of all those mystifying cartography words. Anyone who has no idea about mapping or is a begining student will be able to use this book. The format is excellent with terms higligted and the index and dictionary are well coordinated. I feel that this book is such an excellent reference that I am buying a copy for myself. The only negative thing I have to say is that the illustrations, which are plentiful seem to wander several pages ahead of text, but they are carefully numbered and correspond exactly to the descriptions. Well done! Les L. Johnson

Review by Justin Johnson:

I received a copy of this book from the publisher when I was teaching a university course on cartography. The textbook for the semester had already been selected, so I used this book originally as a second resource while preparing lectures. By the end of the semester, I found myself using this book as the primary source for topics and explanations and suggested it be used in future semesters.This book explains concepts such as projections and coordinate systems in ways that are easy to understand, particularly for new students. The explanations are thorough without bogging down in details. The figures are large, many take up a full page. They are helpful, relevant, and excellently reproduced. The chapters on terrain representation, contours, and topographic features are exceptionally good (there are almost 40 examples of terrain representation) The remote sensing and GIS chapters are brief and introductory, but those are topics best left for other books.I was a little skeptical when I first saw this book, since it appeared to be a somewhat thin, and we were using Robinson's book, which is basically a standard. But, I would recommend this to any map student, teacher, or user. It packs a lot of information in its pages. I still use it as a reference (...).

Review by Joanna Willoughby:

My sister in law recommended this book and I love it. I love the photos and the captions. Quirky and fun. A great read in the bathroom.

Review by T. Franklin:

This book was way more entertaining than I orpginally expected. The sights are really cool but the star of the book is the quirky, clever commentary. Not only do you get a description of what you are looking at, ther is usually a great "what if?" or "did you know?" story as well.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It makes great guest room reading material as there is a little something for everyone.

Review by Scooter McGee:

I had to use this book in two classes for my Land Use/GIS degree. The book's layout is rather confusing, and the information is not laid out in a logical manner. Headings and sub-headings are not apparent and do not follow a natural progression. Seems like the book was put together with a cut-and-paste method! The text is about as dry as a well-done pot roast. Good bedtime reading!
The primary purpose of map making is to guide the reader's eye to areas of importance, and to get the information across to the reader in a concise, interesting, and elegant manner. This book does none of these well.
The breadth of information, however, is quite good, hence the two stars. This is probably why it is used frequently by faculty.

Review by Clyn:

I think it's kind of ironic that this cartography book isn't in color. There's a whole chapter on color and it's in black and white. There's a few pages in the middle of the book with maps in color, but it seems kind of silly. For >0, I want some color pictures.